Banjo



1,631 293 June 1927 H. H. SLINGERLAND BANJO Filed Oct. 29, 1924 2Sheets-Sheet 1 do as as El 7= -7= Z2 i7 g g Z3 INVENTOR jaw 10 17filz/vawzA/m Z0 Z1 15 j} ATTORNEYS '1 1 BY (a June 7, 1927.

H. H. SLINGERLAND BANJO Filed 001:. 29, 1924 2 sheets-Sheet 2 M 4m W i lw flw W. n w

. INVENTOR flflLSZf/VGEELA/WD ATTORNEYS Patented June 7, 1927.

UNITED STATES- HENRY H. SLINGERLAND, F RIVER FOREST, ILLINOIS.

BANJO.

Application filed October 29, 1924-. Serial No. 746,!i07.

My invention relates to improvements in banjos, and it consists in thecombinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described andclaimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a banjo which is provided withnovel means for causing the tone to have a clear, me tallic ring, andwhich also has means for setting tree the sound waves.

A further object of my invention is to provide a banjo which makes useof a special tension ring for tightening the membrane, this ring havingan annular passage way around itsentire surface, whereby the tensionhooks may be readily adjusted to extend at right angles with respect tothe hoop.

A further object of my invention is to provide a banjo which has a noveltone flange which is adapted to be set into vibration by the soundwaves, and thereby lend a metallic ring to the notes of the banjo.

A further object ofmy invention is to provide a banjo in which the toneflange consists of a single piece and is constructed so as to be quicklyassembled to the banjo.

A further object of my invention is to provide a banjo in which theentire membrane is supported by metal parts, thus aiding in giving thetones a metallic ring.

A further object of my invention is to provide a banjo in which theclamping rods are positioned below the top of the banjo where they willnot obstruct the hands of the player.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification,and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming partof. this ap plication, in which Figure l is a plan view of my improvedbanjo,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the sound refleeting member,

Figure 3 is section along the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure t is an enlarged sectional view along the line "it-'1 of Figure6,

Figure is a side elevation of Figure l,

Figure 6 is a plan View of a portion of the device showing differentparts of the banjo broken away to more clearly illustrate theconstruction of the banjo, and

Figure T is a section along the line 7-7 of Figure 2. i

in carrying out my invention 1 provide a banjo which comprises acylindrical wall 1 which is connected to a neck 2 by means of a strut 3.The strut 3 has a rounded end i which extends into a bore 5 in the neck2, the rounded portion starting at a point adjacent tothe inner surfaceoi the wall 1. As clearly shown in Figure 3, the rounded portion textends through an opening 6 in the wall 1 and has its other end securedin place by means of a screw The screw 7 extends through the wall 1 andinto the strut 3 and is provided with a threaded bore 8 through which abolt 9 extends. A nut 10 is adapted to draw the bolt 9 downwardly,whereby the bolt secures a tail-piece 11 in place. The tail-piece 11supports the ends of wires 12 in the ordinary manner. The wires 12 arestrung over the bridge 13 and have their tree ends secured to keys 1%.

A sound reflecting member 15 is removably secured to the wall 1 by meansof a bolt 16. In Figure 3 it will be noted that two plates 17 aredisposed on the top and bottom of the strut 3 and are fastened in placeby means of screws 18. The lowermost plate 17 has a threaded bore 19therein which receives the threaded end oi the bolt 16. \Vhen the bolt16 is screwed into the opening 19, it causes the sound reflecting member15 to bear against the lower edge 20 of the circular wall 1. Supportingpieces 21 are carried by the sound reflecting member 15 and bear againstthe edge 20. In this manner the member 15 is securely locked to thewall 1. It will be noted however, that the edge 20 is spaced above theinner surface of the member 15 so as to provide a free passageway :torthe sound waves, whereby the sound waves are not obstructed in theirpassage from the instru ment.

The sound waves are caused to flow past a tone flange 22 (see Figures 2and 8). This flange made of metal, and is in the shape of a split ring.A groove 23 is provided in the inner wall 2% ot the member and receivesthe flange 22. In Figure 7 I have shown how the free ends of the flange22 are provided with downwardly extending strips 25. The ring is adaptedto be contracted when being placed in position, and as soon as it isaligned with the groove 23 it will spring outwardly so as to enter thegroove.

: securing the membrane 28 in place.

This movement causes the strips to abut the inner surface 24. The screws26 now secure the strip in place. It will therefore be seen that thetone flange or ring is locked in place by means of the two screws 26(see l igure 7). The flange 22 is provided with a plurality of circularrecesses 27 which receive the lower endsof the clamping rods and locknuts. The flange substantially lills'the space bet-ween the wall 24 andthe outer surface of the wall 1 (see Figure 3). It is thereforenecessary that the sound waves pass the flange. The sound waves in doingthis, cause the flange to vibrate, the flange, in turn, lending ametallic ring to the notes. 4

I will now describe the novel manner of This means is clearly shown inFigures 4, 5 and 6. In Figure 4 I have shown an enlarged sectional viewthrough the membrane supporting member, and also have shown how themembrane is fastened in place. The tone ring 29 is provided with aflange 30 that is adapted to receive the cylindrical wall 1. The outersurface of the wall has an enlarged recess 31 which receives the flange80. In this manner the outer surto the ring 33 and then extends in asubstantially flat plane 34 toward the center of the banjo. An opening35 is provided in the ring 29. The opening is large (see Figure 3) andpermits all of the sound waves to pass from the membrane 28 toward therefiector 15. I have found that by mounting the wire ring 33 upon metaltacks having rounded heads 36, the metallic ring of the sounds isgreatly increased. I therefore provide a plurality of these tacks anddispose them upon the upper edge 37 of the cylindrical wall 1. Thesetacks are spaced apart in the manner shown in Figure 6. The wire ring 33rests upon these tacks and therefore does notcontact with the wood ofthe wall 1. As a further means of freeing the membrane from contact withwood I dispose a flange 38 upon the tone ring 29. In the presentinstance I have secured the flange 38- to the ring 29 by means of solder39 spaced at intervals about the flange. The flange is spaced above thering 29. The membrane is stretched across the flange 38 and contactswith the rounded portion 40 of the tone ring 29. From this point themembrane is passed downwardly and is wrapped around a skin hoop 41 andthen up between a tension ring 42 and the outer surface of the Wall 1-.

- One of the novel features of the device lies in the fact that thetension ring 42 is I provided with an annular passage 43 which isV-shaped at 44 so as to receive the J- shaped ends 45 of the tensionhooks 46. The groove 43 permits the hooks to be moved laterally so as todispose the hooks in a vertical position and still permit the hooks tobe aligned with brackets 47. The brackets 47 are fastened in place tothe cylindrical wall 1 by means of bolts 48 which are assed throughopenings 49 in the wall. Loo nuts 50 are screwed upon the lower ends ofthe hooks 46 and when tightened cause the hooks to all downwardly on thetension ring 42 and thus place the membrane 28 under the requiredtension. By this means I am enabled to place the membrane 28 under aproximately 2700 pounds pressure. It Wlll be noted from Figure 4 thatwhen the membrane 28 is tightened, it is held entirely free of allwooden parts. The membrane contacts the flange 38, the rounded portion40, the flange 30, and the tension ring 42. It

will therefore be noted that the tops of the tension hooks 46 do notextend above the u per edge of the tensioning ring, as is t econstruction in standard banjos. This provides an even surface to the toof the banjo, and obviates any tendency o the hands of the banjo playerto strike these projections. Furthermore, the tension ring is notprovided with notches to receive the to s of the hooks 46, as is theusual practice. T e hooks 46 on the other hand, may be moved to anypoint along the groove 43 so as to permit the hooks to be aligned withthe brackets 47.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, theoperation thereof may be readily understood. There are three featureswhich are novel in the present invention. The first is the provision ofthe tone flange 22. The second is the provision of the means of suporting the membrane by metal parts, an the third is the novelconstruction of the tension hooks. I have clearly described in thespecification, how the tone flange 22 may be quickly applied to thesound reflecting member 15, and secured in place by means of the screws26. I have also shown how the tone ring 29 is supported by metal tacks,thus causing the tones emitted from the banjo to have a metallic ring.The third novel point lies in the special construction of the tensionhooks 46. The hooks have their upper ends received in a V-shaped groovewhich relieves any lateral strain upon the hooks when they are in place.This is a distinct feature of the present invention. The entire banjohas been especially designed to free all of the sound waves and to givea clear, metallic ring to the notes.

I claim:

1. In a device of the type described, a cylindrical wall, .a metalsupporting member adapted to support a membrane carried by said Wall andhaving an opening therein. a flange carried by said supporting memberand bearing against the membrane, said flange extending outwardly awayfrom said supporting member throughout the greater portion of its Width,

2. In a device of the type described a cylindrical Wall a metalsupporting member adapted to support a membrane carried by said Wall andhaving an opening therein, a flange carried by said supporting memberand bearing against the membrane, said flange extending outwardly awayfrom said supporting member throughout the greater portion of its width,the part of the flange contacting with the membrane being curved so asto tangentially contact with the membrane.

3. A device of the type described bomprising a cylindrical Wall, asound-reflecting member, means for securing said sonnd-refleeting memberto said Wall and for spacing the sound-reflecting member from said Wall.and a tone flange securedto said sound-reflecting member, the inner edgeof said flange being spaced a slight distance from the outer surface ofsaid cylindrical Wall.

* HENRY H. SLINGERLAND.

